Snowed In? Tips To Help Cabin Fever With Kids

Lads, this is even worse than Christmas because you physically can’t leave AND they don’t have new toys to occupy them.

We’ve been pretty much housebound since Wednesday morning, apart from a failed tobogganing attempt that afternoon which ended with much wailing from all parties involved.

While the requests for Netflix/TV/screens in general, are incessant and obviously the easiest option, there is always the endless sanctimonious moan droning in the back of the brain – “only two hours of screen time a day… only two hours of screen time a day… bad mother… LAZY MAMMY” etc. So here are a few tips to hopefully get you through ’til Monday. MONDAY.

• Recreate the Winter OlympicsHere’s the husband getting a fierce sweat on out the back yesterday morning.

If you don’t fancy venturing outside to do it, here’s an indoor version (caution advised etc, etc)

If the mere thought of the above has you exhausted, let the kids have a whirl on a balance beam. Not an actual balance beam, rather just a piece of masking tape placed on the floor in a straight line. To increase the difficulty, ask them to do it backwards.

• Water Sports
I’ve yet to come across a toddler/child that won’t hover over a basin of warm water for half an hour pretending their toys are at a pool party. You obviously have to watch the little ones like a hawk so they don’t dive headfirst into it or lean on the edge of the basin thus flooding the house, but if you place the basin on a large towel it should help.

In addition, if you run out of toys to put in, they LOVE adding kitchen roll or newspaper

• Treasure Hunts
Hide chocolate or, if you’ve eaten it all already (and bear in mind that Tesco have cancelled all deliveries until SUNDAY), hide money around the house and let them loose.

• Forts
An elasticated sheet is your best friend. Give them a picnic, an led candle, and tell them they have to devise a plan to make Elsa happy again.

A post shared by MakeMeAMammy.ie (@makemeamammy.ie) on Feb 4, 2018 at 8:27am PST

• Whose Line Is It Anyway?
If your kids are older, give them a bag of assorted props (a spoon, a newspaper, some toilet roll…) and get them to improvise a skit. Pretend you’re watching. Most important.

If they need further convincing, remind them it’s the Oscars this weekend and the winner of the skit will get an award AND get to make an emotive acceptance speech…

• Fake BakesFailing that, give them a wooden spoon, a bowel, and a load of shredded paper.

And, when things get too much, don’t forget to BREEEAAATHE and know there is an end in sight.